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An on-call phone for plumbers and electricians: urgent calls without sitting by the phone
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Read the guideVoicemail greetings. 15 examples that work.
Standard, out of hours, holidays, trades on the job, clinic, shop and urgent: 15 voicemail greetings you can copy – plus tips on length, tone and recording.
A voicemail greeting has one job: getting the caller to leave a useful message – or sending them to the right place. It should say who they've reached, when they'll hear back and what to tell you. Everything else is padding.
Below are 15 examples sorted by situation. Swap the [placeholders] for your own details, and read them aloud before you record – a sentence that looks fine on paper can be long to the ear.
01Standard greetings
For everyday use, when you just can't pick up right now.
«You've reached [company name]. We can't take your call right now. Leave your name, your number and briefly what it's about, and we'll call you back today.»
«Hi, this is [name] from [company name]. I'm busy or with a customer. Leave a message or text this number, and I'll get back to you within a couple of hours.»
«You've reached [company name]. We're speaking with other customers. Leave your name and number, or write to [email address] – you'll hear from us within one working day.»
02Out of hours
Say that you're closed and when you open. Then the caller knows whether it's worth waiting.
«You've reached [company name]. We're closed for the day and open again tomorrow at [8]. Leave a message, and we'll call you during the morning.»
«You've reached [company name]. We're closed for the weekend and back on Monday at [8]. You can book directly at [website] – or leave a message, and we'll call on Monday.»
03Holidays and closures
Give the date you're back – not "a couple of weeks". And be honest if nobody checks messages in the meantime.
«You've reached [company name]. We're closed for the summer until [date] and won't be checking messages. If it's urgent, call [name] on [number]. Otherwise we look forward to hearing from you after the holiday.»
«Hi, this is [name]. I'm on holiday until [date]. If you need help in the meantime, contact [colleague] on [number] or write to [email address].»
04Trades on the job
Customers know you're up a ladder. What they want to know is when you'll call – and what you need to be able to answer.
«This is [name] from [company name]. I'm on a job and can't pick up. Tell me the address and what needs doing, and I'll call you back on my break – by [4 pm] at the latest.»
«You've reached [company name]. We're out with customers. If you're calling about a quote, send a few photos and your address to [email address] – that way we can price it faster. Otherwise, leave a message.»
05Clinics and practitioners
Don't ask for a CPR number or health details on voicemail. Name, phone number and the time of the appointment are enough to find it.
«You've reached [clinic name]. We're with a patient and can't take your call. Our phone hours are [weekdays 8 to 9]. To cancel or move an appointment, leave your name and the time of your appointment.»
«You've reached [clinic name]. You can book, move and cancel appointments around the clock at [website]. For anything else, leave a message and we'll call back during our phone hours.»
06Shops and online stores
«Thanks for calling [shop name]. We're busy in the shop right now. We're open [weekdays 10–17:30 and Saturday 10–14]. Leave a message, and we'll call back when it's quieter.»
«You've reached [store name]. If you're asking about an order, leave your order number and name – then we'll have the answer ready when we call. You can also write to [email address].»
07Urgent referral
If some calls can't wait until tomorrow, the greeting should say so in the first sentence – and give a number that actually gets answered.
«You've reached [company name] outside opening hours. If water is running and you can't stop it, turn off the main tap and call our on-call number on [number]. For everything else, leave a message and we'll call tomorrow.»
«You've reached [clinic name]. We're closed. If you need help now, call the out-of-hours doctor on [your region's number]. If life is at risk, call 112.»
08Length and tone
- Short. Aim for 15–25 seconds. Your name first, then what the caller should do. They're waiting for the beep.
- A specific time. "Today", "by 4 pm" or "Monday" beats "as soon as possible" – and keep the promise.
- Ask for what you need. Name and number – plus the one thing that makes your call back easier: the address, the order number, the appointment time.
- Sound like yourselves. Speak a little slower than usual and say numbers in pairs. Skip "your call is important to us".
- One referral, not five. One alternative – an email, a website or an on-call number – is enough. More won't be remembered.
- Remember to switch back. A holiday greeting in September does more harm than none. Set a reminder the day you record it.
09How to record it on your phone
iPhone
Open the Phone app, choose Voicemail at the bottom and tap Greeting. Choose "Custom", record, listen back and save. If you only see "Call Voicemail", your plan doesn't support visual voicemail – do as on Android below.
Android and every other phone
Call your voicemail – on most phones by holding 1 on the keypad – and follow the menu to the personal greeting. The menu belongs to your phone company, so it differs from provider to provider.
Before you press record
- The text is written down and read aloud once
- A quiet room – not the car with the engine running
- Phone held as in a call, not on speaker
- Listened back afterwards from another phone
- Reminder set if the greeting is temporary
10Or let Noa take the call
Voicemail is a fine fallback, but it doesn't answer anything. Some callers hang up at the beep instead of leaving a message – and then you have neither name nor number. With Telenoa's answering service, Noa picks up in your name: she answers from what you've taught her, asks follow-up questions, transfers to the right person on the days and hours you've chosen, and otherwise leaves a message in the inbox with the whole conversation written out.
More guides
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Let Noa take the next one.
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